Pennsylvania vs Tennessee

Pennsylvania comes out ahead of Tennessee on 435 of 785 statistics where one end is better, to 330 with 20 ties. Pennsylvania leads on Facts & Trivia, Sports and Tech & Business and 6 more categories. Tennessee leads on Agriculture, Politics & Government and Travel and 2 more categories.

785 statistics with a better end, compared

Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 20 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.

Wins
435
Avg. percentile
51
Categories led
9
Wins
330
Avg. percentile
46
Categories led
5

At a glance

Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.

StatisticPennsylvaniaTennessee
Population
13,073,016
5th of 51
7,378,861
15th of 51
Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)
$77,971
24th of 51
$69,595
42nd of 51
Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS)
4.3%
tied 33rd of 51
3.5%
tied 15th of 51
Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)
11.7%
25th of 51
13.8%
39th of 51
Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities)
97.6
28th of 51
91.9
14th of 51
Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State
$58,620
24th of 51
$58,582
25th of 51
Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS)
$65,730
25th of 51
$60,800
40th of 51
Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)
$1,209
24th of 51
$1,189
23rd of 51
Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI)
226.8
14th of 51
492.3
46th of 51
Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages)
5,700
28th of 48
3,753
14th of 48

By category

Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.

  • AgricultureTennessee · 15 statistics
  • Facts & TriviaPennsylvania · 18 statistics
  • SportsPennsylvania · 17 statistics
  • Tech & BusinessPennsylvania · 47 statistics
  • EducationPennsylvania · 51 statistics
  • LawPennsylvania · 69 statistics
  • CulturePennsylvania · 78 statistics
  • PopulationPennsylvania · 114 statistics
  • HealthPennsylvania · 175 statistics
  • EnvironmentPennsylvania · 40 statistics
  • Politics & GovernmentTennessee · 120 statistics
  • TravelTennessee · 29 statistics
  • GeographyTennessee · 25 statistics
  • Crime & SafetyTennessee · 75 statistics
  • Infrastructure & EnergyEven · 36 statistics
  • EconomicsEven · 291 statistics

Biggest differences

The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.

StatisticPennsylvaniaTennessee
Livability RankDisability Benefits by State
1st
1st of 51
47th
47th of 51
Quality of LifeWorst States to Retire
48th
3rd best of 50
3rd
3rd worst of 50
Weekly PayIUOE Pay Scale by State
$859
45th of 50
$1,123
tied 1st of 50
Bad Driving IndexWorst Drivers by State
13.04
1st of 49
83.33
tied 43rd of 49
Annual SalaryIUOE Pay Scale by State
$44,692
45th of 50
$58,416
2nd of 50
Hourly WageIUOE Pay Scale by State
$21.49
45th of 50
$28.08
2nd of 50
Monthly PayIUOE Pay Scale by State
$3,724
45th of 50
$4,868
2nd of 50
Insured DriversWorst Drivers by State
94.0
6th of 50
76.3
48th of 50
Avg Annual WageClinical Psychologist Salary by State
$73,700
47th of 49
$118,970
6th of 49
Avg Hourly WageClinical Psychologist Salary by State
35.43
47th of 49
57.2
6th of 49
AnnualBCBA Salary by State
$61,973
43rd of 49
$79,464
2nd of 49
HourlyBCBA Salary by State
$29.80
43rd of 49
$38.20
2nd of 49
MonthlyBCBA Salary by State
$5,164
43rd of 49
$6,622
2nd of 49
WeeklyBCBA Salary by State
$1,191
43rd of 49
$1,528
2nd of 49
Food and Health Support RankBest States to Be Homeless
6th
6th of 50
46th
46th of 50
SSI Civil Service Management ScoreMost Corrupt States
54
44th of 50
69.9
4th of 50
% of Prisoners in Private PrisonPrivate Prisons by State
0.8%
4th of 27
26.3%
25th of 27
Social and Civic Racial Progress RankLeast Racist States
8th
8th of 51
48th
48th of 51
Overall Homelessness Help ScoreBest States to Be Homeless
53.82
11th of 50
28.72
50th of 50
LPC Application FeeLPC Requirements by State
$45.00
2nd of 49
$200
tied 38th of 49
Maternal Mortality Rate (2018-2022)Maternal Mortality Rate by State
17.5 per 100k Births
9th of 39
41.1 per 100k Births
39th of 39
Maternal Mortality Total Deaths (2019-2023)Maternal Mortality Rate by State
17.7
9th of 39
42.1
39th of 39
Total Weighted ScoreBest States to Own a Business
30
tied 3rd of 50
21
tied 39th of 50
Weighted ScoreEntrepreneur-Friendly States
30
tied 3rd of 50
21
tied 39th of 50
Maximum Annual SalaryIBEW Pay Scale by State
$141,940
3rd of 51
$72,760
42nd of 51
Infrastructure RankFarming-Friendly States
50th
50th of 50
12th
12th of 50
Score (out of 100)Best States to Own a Business
94
4th of 49
20
40th of 49
Total ScoreEntrepreneur-Friendly States
94
4th of 49
20
40th of 49
Teacher's Union Rank (1=Strongest)States with Teacher Unions
4th
4th of 51
41st
41st of 51
RankEntrepreneur-Friendly States
4th
4th of 50
40th
40th of 50
See every statistic they shareSearch and sort all of them, adjust for cost of living or population, or add up to two more places.

Quick answers

Which is better, Pennsylvania or Tennessee?
Pennsylvania comes out ahead of Tennessee on 435 of 785 statistics where one end is better, to 330 with 20 ties. Pennsylvania leads on Facts & Trivia, Sports and Tech & Business and 6 more categories. Tennessee leads on Agriculture, Politics & Government and Travel and 2 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
Which has more people, Pennsylvania or Tennessee?
Pennsylvania has a population of 13,073,016 (5th of 51 US states) and Tennessee has 7,378,861 (15th of 51).
How do Pennsylvania and Tennessee compare on Median Household Income?
Median Household Income: Pennsylvania $77,971 (24th of 51), Tennessee $69,595 (42nd of 51) among US states. Pennsylvania ranks better.
How do Pennsylvania and Tennessee compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
Unemployment Rate (%): Pennsylvania 4.3% (tied 33rd of 51), Tennessee 3.5% (tied 15th of 51) among US states. Tennessee ranks better.
Where does Pennsylvania beat Tennessee most clearly?
Pennsylvania ranks far ahead on Livability Rank (Disability Benefits by State): 1st vs 47th; Quality of Life (Worst States to Retire): 48th vs 3rd; Bad Driving Index (Worst Drivers by State): 13.04 vs 83.33.
Where does Tennessee beat Pennsylvania most clearly?
Tennessee ranks far ahead on Weekly Pay (IUOE Pay Scale by State): $1,123 vs $859; Annual Salary (IUOE Pay Scale by State): $58,416 vs $44,692; Hourly Wage (IUOE Pay Scale by State): $28.08 vs $21.49.

More matchups

Other comparisons with Pennsylvania or Tennessee.